Whanganui Regional Museum Event

The "motley crew" sing "what shall we do with a drunken pirate".

At the Creating Our Future Day we talked about the need for celebration and fun as a way of building community. When we realised that Women's Suffrage Day and International Talk like a Pirate Day coincided the Whanganui Regional Museum bravely rose to the challenge of organising a celebration!!
We used Pecha Kucha where presenters talk to 20 slides, each showing for 20 seconds. What a great evening. We laughed a lot, learned a lot and had fun. I got to see a side of some people I'd not seen before and talked to people I'd not met before. A great eveing that certainly built community. Thanks to Carla Donson, Eric Dorfman and Louise Follet for ther work organising.

The History of Women's Philanthropy

In Victorian times we saw strong temperance movements, suffragettes and some of the most strategic philanthropy ever. Horrified by the need of widows to resort to prostitution to support their children, women banded together to start social enterprises to employ these women in dignified employment. Profits were used to provide schools for their children where they were also clothed and fed. I find this inspiring, both for the compassion shown, but also for the strategic approach to addressing social issues. Judith's contribution to the eveing was a children's story was about one adventurous little girl who grew up to start a social enterprise clothing factory.

Carla Donson was our MC for the evening, and also a presenter.

Judith telling her story about Penelope Isabella Rosalind Alice Tompkins-Endersbottom.

Dr. Eric Dorfman sweet talking a bird!

Suffragettes and Pirates

Elise Goodge from Mainstreet looked stunning, seen here with Stewart the manky parrot and displaying pistols from the Museum collection
Dr Eric Dorfman from the Whanganui Regional Museum seen here with cannon balls. To the side is a treasure chest from the Museum collection.
A real cannon from the museum collection.
A model of a Spanish galleon from the collection. It was so intricate.

Carla introducing Judith Timpany from the Whanganui Community Foundation. Judith's children's story about a little girl who grew up in Victorian times also added some of the history of women's philanthropy.

Victory Village Forum

Victory Village Forum

Nelson, 27 to 29 July 2011

The Victory Village Community
Victory is a low socio economic suburb in Nelson where the school decided that providing education was not enough. (At the beginning of the process the school was decile 2, now decile 3) The school now has a community centre and health centre on the school site as well as a community vegetable garden. It is widely used by the community and has had many positive spin offs for the community.

There is a kaupapa of making it better for children and families. The school believes that all people should be able to:
Belong
Thrive
Achieve

People commenting on negative aspects of the community have been mentored to become active citizens and become involved in action to encourage a better community. Reflection and learning have been encouraged.





For the community it has been important to create spaces for celebration and connection. Diverse funding streams have also been seen as very important.

Presentations

Chaordic was a new word. It is the space between order and chaos and it’s where learning and innovation can best take place. Too much order and there is no stimulation and too much chaos is just a big mess!
In the chaordic space we can learn by doing and reflecting with a range of stakeholders.






We can see communities as either complex or resilient. This leads to different responses

Complex Response: Issues are difficult to frame
Resilient Response: Good enough framing is a good place to start and we can refine as we go along.

Complex Response: There are multiple root causes
Resilient Response: Working across boundaries can help to understand the underlying issues through bringing multiple perspectives

Complex Response: Multiple stakeholders
Resilient Response: A collaborative response and flat “structure”

Complex Response: Emergent responses.
Resilient Response: We learn as we are doing from our reflections


Complex Response: Adaptive learning.
Resilient Response: We go with what we know has worked before and constantly re evaluate and adapt.

Complex Response: Unique situation. This community is unique and needs a unique way of solving issues.
Resilient Response: Customised responses. (See above)

Complex Response: Paradoxes and dilemmas. Finding ways to work in the face of paradox and dilemma can be difficult
Resilient Response: Transparent coping. We start where we are and are open about our uncertainties. We welcome feedback and suggestions.



3 Questions to ask about community

1. Who is in the room ? (And who is not in the room?)
2. Who is visible in the room? (And who is invisible in the room?)
3. Who defines the discourse (What is talked about)?

Connectedness and embededness are important in strong communities. That is people need to feel a part of their communities and constructive ways of working and problem solving need to be ingrained in the community.

Questions to think about.

1. How do we change intergenerational outcomes for families and whanau?
2. How do we take other people with us?
3. How do we increase community resilience?
4. How do we grow active citizenship?
5. Is community a verb that masquerades as a noun?
6. How can we encourage creative thinking?


Judith Timpany
Whanganui Community Foundation